Dear Brett,

     What baffles me the most is not that you likely assaulted a girl while drunk in 1982, but that you genuinely believe you are incapable of such a thing.

     When we claim acts of violence are beyond our capacity, we turn other people into monsters. The full range of human experience is available to all of us at all times. As much as we adore résumés and family photos, none of us are a “type of person.”

     Most of us have not killed someone, but can understand the urge after driving in tri-state area traffic.

     Also, the idea that we are only as bad as the worst thing we’ve done with hard evidence seems insufficient criteria for any job candidate.

     When I was interviewing for entry-level arts administration positions, my success rate was worse than my foul shot percentage in freshman high school basketball (which was 24%). I went through multiple rounds of interviews, answered several questions about my past, and was honest while still being thoughtful about what I chose to share.

     Upon hearing that I was not confirmed for those jobs, it would have been satisfying to deliver angry testimony to those who made the hiring decision. It feels bad to not get something to which you believe you are entitled.

     But sometimes you just don’t get the job. Hillary didn’t. I didn’t. And hopefully this will be the first time in a lifetime full of weekends in Connecticut and beach trips full of beer that you, too, just won't get it.